Donna Hill - Mistletoe, Baby

It all started with one passionate night…

Don’t preach to Alexis Montgomery about settling down. She’s got her act together—a fabulous new job, great friends and plenty of dating prospects. She’s happily taking New York City by storm, so why would she ruin things by committing to just one man?

If anyone could influence Alexis, it might be Graham Stone. He’s gorgeous and brilliant, enough to make any red-blooded woman question her single status. Unfortunately, he’s also her boss. When these two seductive forces collide, neither thinks past the sparks they are generating. But their rendezvous has an unexpected consequence during the holiday season—one that could make them never want to walk away…from each other.

“You know what I think?”

Alexis angled her head to look up at him. The deep, dark centers of his eyes picked up the light and reflected it back at her. “No…” she said on a breath. “What do you think?”

Graham stopped walking. He clasped her arm and turned her to face him. She glanced up at him, expectant and knowing.

“I think…” He stroked the curve of her jaw with the tip of his finger. A shiver rippled through her. “I think that we make a formidable couple.”

Couple? But before she could process the implication, he’d lifted her chin, and the world around her was blocked out as he lowered his head and touched his lips to hers.

Testing…teasing…tasting…taking.

He cupped the back of her head and eased her into the kiss, deeper and sweeter.

Heat coursed through her even as she shivered against him. He pulled her closer.

DONNA HILL

began writing novels in 1990. Since that time she has had more than forty titles published, which include full length novels and novellas. Two of her novels and one novella were adapted for television. She has won numerous awards for her body of work. She is also the editor of five novels, two of which were nominated for awards. She easily moves from romance to erotica, horror, comedy and women’s fiction. She was the first recipient of the RT Book Reviews Trailblazer Award, won an RT Book Reviews Career Achievement Award and currently teaches writing at the Frederick Douglass Creative Arts Center.

Donna lives in Brooklyn with her family. Visit her website at www.donnahill.com.

Mistletoe,

Baby

Donna Hill

www.millsandboon.co.uk

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Dear Reader,

With the holiday season on the horizon, can love be far behind? Many of you may remember the feisty Alexis Montgomery, the best friend of Naomi Campbell from Private Lessons. Well, Alexis is back with a full-blown story of her own, and all of her rules about crossing the lines of professionalism slowly dissolve when she meets Graham Stone.

I loved bringing Alexis to full life with her own story. Even more exciting was creating the sexy British hero Graham Stone, whose passion for righting the wrongs of the underclass is eclipsed only by his passion for Alexis.

Although this is a holiday-themed book, it has a story line that will resonate with many and showcase the critical issues of undereducating our youth, as well as spark conversation about what we can do as a community to make it better. Alexis and Graham are leading that charge—at least when they can keep their hands off of each other!

I hope you enjoy every page. I love hearing from you. Drop me a line on my Facebook page, www.facebook.com/donnahillwriter, and be sure to join my fan page, at www.facebook.com/donnahillfans, for prizes and the inside scoop on upcoming books and projects.

Until next time,

Donna

Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Epilogue

Chapter 1

Her farewell party was in full swing. The kisses and hugs had been given, the toasts made and the tears shed. Now it was on to the business of drinking and eating—in that order. Her staff managed to commandeer the very dignified Presidential conference suite and transformed it into an “after five” lounge that was complete with bartenders, waiters and a DJ.

Even as she looked around at the people that she’d considered family for the past five years, and knew that she would miss them dearly, there was an undeniable bubble of excitement that wanted the day to be over, her bags packed and the jet taking off from Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport en route to New York City. Atlanta was a great place. It was her home. She’d built a stellar career in academia rising up in the ranks at Atlanta College to her current position as Dean of Academic Affairs, but as the old saying goes, “Always leave them wanting more.”

She was at the top of her game. The name Alexis Montgomery was always spoken of in the highest regard. Word had gotten around that she excelled at what she did and she was made an offer that she couldn’t refuse.

During the past six months she’d been flown out to New York to meet with the board of directors at R.E.A.L., toured their Midtown Manhattan office and talked terms. After weeks of negotiation she’d signed off on her five-year contract.

Alexis brought the glass of champagne to her lips and smiled at the throng of faces. She’d left the college in better shape than when she’d stepped in. She had much to be proud of and she had every intention of making her mark in New York the same way she’d done it in Atlanta. A thrill of anticipation coursed through her. In a little more than a week her new life would begin. Look out, New York—this Southern Belle is on her way.

“You realize there’s really no one to fill those high heels of yours,” came a rugged whisper in her ear.

Alexis casually angled her head to the right. A secret smile moved across her mouth and a light of something more than “we’re only colleagues” lit the dark embers of her brown eyes. “I’m sure you only mean that in the most professional sense.” The corner of her mouth flickered in a barely there grin.

“If you say so.” He lifted his chin in the direction of her almost-empty glass. “Refill?”

She shrugged her bare shoulder. “Sure. It’s my party, right?”

“Be right back.”

Alexis watched him walk away and smiled to herself as several of her female colleagues scoped him out, as well. Ian Matthews was without a doubt a very eligible bachelor. He was the whole package; six feet plus, well built, with a walk like Denzel, a mind like Einstein, sweet milk chocolate all over, funny, well-endowed and an expert at using his “equipment”; a tenured professor, chair of his department and actually an all-around decent guy to boot. They’d been discreetly seeing each other off and on for nearly a year. But something kept Alexis from committing, although Ian said that he wanted to. She honestly cared about him. She was close to being addicted to the crazy sex that they had, but something was missing.

That missing something was the thing that had allowed her to sign on the dotted line. With her mother’s passing, her best friend Naomi Clarke all happily married and relocated to Virginia, and that spark she was looking for in a relationship still out of reach, there was nothing more to keep her in Atlanta.